DesiColleagueGuy1: Yes, my wife wakes up early and makes them for me everyday.

Me: Wow!!

DesiColleagueGuy2: Why do you act so shocked? His wife is just being a good ‘Bharatiya Naari’.

Me: What? Why do you label it that? Who set the benchmark for a Bharatiya Naari ?

DesiColleagueGuy2:Now don’t act all non-feminist. I just spoke fact.

Me: Firstly, it is ‘feminist’ and not ‘non’.Do you even know what it means?

DesiColleagueGuy2: Whatever..

Me: The ‘Bharatiya Naari’ and its specifications all came from men.

DesiColleagueGuy2: So what?

Me: If women were given a chance they would change the definition of Bharatiya Naari, am sure.

DesiColleagueGuy2: Haha, who stopped them?

Me: Now, don’t get me started man,. From time immemorial women have been treated inferior by men. Mostly because men are physically stronger.

DesiColleagueGuy1: How can you say that? I think it is more to do with mental strength and intelligence.

Me: And how is that?

DesiColleagueGuy1: Look, if women had enough mental strength and smartness to break the rules and go ahead, they would have! No man could have stopped them.

Me: You mean women were treated inferior because they were less smarter than men?

DesiColleagueGuy2: Of course! We even have a saying in my native language for that. Translates to say “smartness of a woman is lesser than the sole of her feet”

Me: Wha..???

DesiColleagueGuy1: So, it has all to do with mental abilities ..and why men claimed superiority

Me: Huh? I will never accept women are any lesser than men when it comes to brains. I think it all started with physical differences. Men kept women subdued because they were the weaker of the sexes, physically. Since the age old days, men were the ones who built countries and formed laws.Women were hardly in picture!

DesiColleagueGuy1: Ah…Why were they not in picture? Because they were not smart enough.

Me: You don’t get my point!

DesiColleagueGuy2: All this argument because you don’t make paratheys for your husband every morning? Hahaha

Me: #%^&*)%%^&*(@$%% !!

Either my route to the argument was wrong or those two MCP’s were just not getting it.

What do you think? For centuries, women were treated inferior by men. Things have changed/are changing for the better now..but how did it all start?

Was it physical differences or was there something else to it?

Lunch break conversation in the cafeteria:

—————————————————————-

Me: So, what do you have for breakfast usually?

DesiColleagueGuy1: Parathey

Me: Daily?

DesiColleagueGuy1: Yes, my wife wakes up early and makes them for me everyday.

Me: Wow!!

DesiColleagueGuy2: Why do you act so shocked? His wife is just being a good ‘Bharatiya Naari’.

Me: What? Why do you label it that? Who set the benchmark for a Bharatiya Naari ?

DesiColleagueGuy2: Now don’t act all non-feminist. I just spoke fact.

Me: Firstly, it is ‘feminist’ without a ”non’. Do you even know what it means?

DesiColleagueGuy2: Whatever..

Me: The ‘Bharatiya Naari’ and its specifications all came from men.

DesiColleagueGuy2: So what?

Me: If women were given a chance they would change the definition of Bharatiya Naari, am sure.

DesiColleagueGuy2: Haha, who stopped them?

Me: Now, don’t get me started man.. .from time immemorial women have been treated inferior by men. Mostly because men are physically stronger.

DesiColleagueGuy1: How can you say that? I think it is more to do with mental strength and intelligence.

Me: And how is that?

DesiColleagueGuy1: Look, if women had enough mental strength and smartness to break the rules and go ahead, they would have! No man could have stopped them.

Me: You mean women were treated low because they were not as smart as men?

DesiColleagueGuy2: Of course! We even have a saying in my native language which translates to say “smartness of a woman is lesser than the sole of her feet” Hehe.

Me: Wha..???

DesiColleagueGuy1: So, it has all to do with mental abilities ..and why men claimed superiority

Me: Huh? I will never accept women are any lesser than men when it comes to brains. I think it all started with physical differences. Men kept women subdued because they were the weaker of the sexes, physically. Since the age old days, men were the ones who built countries and formed laws.Women were hardly in picture!

DesiColleagueGuy1: Ah…Why were they not in picture? Because they were not smart enough.

Me: You don’t get my point!

DesiColleagueGuy2: All this argument because you don’t make paratheys for your husband every morning? Hahaha

Me: #%^&*)%%^&*(@$%%

————————————————–

Either my route to the argument was not strong enough or those two MCP’s were just not getting it.

What do you think? Bharatiya or not, for centuries, women were treated inferior by men. Things have changed/are changing for the better now..but how did it all start?

Was it physical differences or was there something else to it?

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

23 Responses to Weaker Sex

OHMG.. SOme Indian men make me want to kill NK just because he knows them. SO Nk does everything from changing diapers to taking care of the kids so that I get to have me time to making thaalipeet(some complicated dish)

The men actually think I am so bad and evil and warns their wives off me lest I turn thier wives into me..

Sigh…poor wife who gets up ealry to make parathe.
—————Me: Hahaha!! Am sure mine would do the exact same..if he is craving for something special on the table 😀
These 2 men in my office already think that I would be a bad influence on their wives, I bet! 😉
So, we are with ya when you need ‘other wives’ to chill with!

Its one thing if she does it voluntarily and yet another if she were “forced” to. You know?

Physical strength is only a part of the equation…after all back in the day women did do heavy physical chores, pop out babies and cared for them and a large family too.

Most major religions do put down women or the society does. I don’t know why or how it all started. I do know that women also perpetrate that. Sad it is.
—————–Me: She might have made the paratheys voluntarily LVL, the point is…why would one label her ‘Bharatiya Naari’ or ‘Ideal Indian Woman’ just because she cooks for her husband every early morning? Does it make others any less of Ideal Indian Woman?

AHK, what are you saying? Of course it does! The embodiment of virtue and sacrifice that is Bharatiya naari will put everybody’s needs ahead of her own. She has no needs at all. If you have needs you are not Bharatiya naari. No?
————–Me: Yes, Egg-jactly! 😉

Low level thinking, thats all I can say.. Well these idiots shud b sent to my husband.. He’ll give them a big thought provoking lecture about how females are superior and why you shud respect them! He can never lose in this argument for sure!
And btw, making parathas in the morning doesnt make that female even a bit inferior.. If she wants to, she shud.. If she doesn’t.. just forget it! As simple as that!
Its all about perception..
P.S. I’m a new commenter.. but an old reader of ur blog 🙂
—————

Me: Oh, I am a fan of your husband and his capabilities already!
Thank God for such men among these type of morons….leaves us with some hope 🙂

Now, tat we have that sorted, tell them that the difference between a parantha-making wife to a non-parantha making wife is brains.. Obviously his wife’s “smartness lesser than the sole of her feet”..

Arrghh.. these jerks have me so riled up early in the morning… 🙂
————-Me: Dee, I seriously wanted to plant those slaps on their faces..when they snickered after quoting that saying. Arrrgh!
I have no doubt one of those million MCPs in his village would have come up with a thing like that. Pity their ignorance and move on is what I did..

aargghh!! such a bunch-load of idiots!!
I suppose it began as division of labour initially – men would go out and get the food while the women stayed back and looked after chores at home. Somewhere down the line, a man’s role changed from hunting to earning to get food for the folks back home and women just continued to do the house-work. But now, though women are now equally educated and capable, they are still looked down upon as the weaker sex. Sadly we women are also to be equally blamed for this.
———————-Me: Yes, it all began with the division of labor ..but I think this division ( which later led to the men acting superior) had to do with the physical abilities. When everything was manual or mechanical..needed a lot of stamina and women could not cope up, they were just treated lesser. That’s my theory.

You are right, we are to be blamed too…why did we remain subdued, why did we not rebel earlier? Why did the realization of human rights and equality take so long?

AHK, I would love to come down there, catch hold of these two morons and bash their heads together HARD and give them a few tight slaps each. Nincompoops!!! Dude, I am just too angry to say anything more right now!!!
—————Me: I wish..I dearly wish you were right there with me when this conv took place DDD 🙂

Men are the stronger sex? Its true that we dont take steroids to build a six pack abs and all that.Thats the only thing that makes them stronger. Just make men go through the monthly ritual of stomach cramps and looking at one’s own blood for a few days continuously. Then they will know 😀
————————Me: Hahaha! Oh, yeah.. 😀
On a serious note, apart from the child birth/periods we go through, an average man can definitely outdo the physical strength of an average woman. Well, an example – why do you think men and women have their own competitions separately in Olympics?. Anyway, tell me anything about men being better with brains et all and I will want to beat the S*** out of them 🙂

You should have shown the desi guys the 10th grade public results that almost all the time say that the girls outdid the boys….

And it is very hard to fight for anything when you are ganged up against and segregated. Which is why not only women, but even the dalits were treated badly in our country and people could get away with it.
————Me: They were not worth giving any proof..their minds were blocked already, don’t you think?
Ganged up and segregated is what I felt too. .was actually wishing one of you girls was with me then!

Haha this is like a dejavu moment. Because I had a similar conversation with a friend while we were debating on who’s the stronger sex. And while this is a never-ending discussion really, the moment he started preaching about how “strong” men are,(and sorry for sounding really crude), but i looked at him with a straight face and said “does your penis bleed or do you have to push a baby out of it? No right? Then I think your argument ends right there!”

By far one of my most favorite moments in life because my friend totally shut up and muttered “Right right”, and left it to that. 😉

Came to your blog via DDD’s. Hi! 🙂
—————Me: Hi Medha, welcome here girl 🙂
Oo…I would love to use that punch line when it gets to ‘who’s stronger’ arguements.
Sadly, this one was about mental strength and smartness…with a bunch of morons 😛

Hey I have been reading ur blog for some time now, commenting for the first time. you write well and i really enjoy reading it.

You know I was so much there where u were that day. Used to engage in pointless conversations with colleagues, males offcourse and trying to make them understand my POV. But after a point i felt it is useless, if that guy had to understand he would have by now. Next time they engage u in this battle of sexes just tell them, how after meeting them and talking to them you started respecting your husband so much more. That should shut them up.
—————-Me: Hi !! Welcome here . Spent quite some time reading your blog over the weekend. Nice place you have there 🙂

About the trick to shut them up – I am afraid I can may not say that with conviction about my husband..
Though H is equally helping and task sharing, we do get into arguments when he supports these notions..even remotely.. * Sigh *..the struggle continues at home too 😦

wow! this funny. I would have really laughed at their faces for this. Tell them to go back to Ice Age. And stay there. Its actually no use to argue with them. I really pity thier wives..tch tch!
—————–Me: Hey CW! How’s you?
Send these men back to stone age and they will treat women the same old ice-age way and bring back to where we are..I wish the path of past was different.
Wishful sily thinking 😀

You know all historic epics, recitations etc have always been written by men. Thats why they so categorically define the role of the woman and thats what perpetuates the myth of the Bhartiya Nari. I am Indian so Bhartiya , I am woman so Nari- hence I am Bhartiya Nari. Rest is all crap. These definitions really annoy the hell out of me- I sually walk out of such conversations..the men simper along trying to prove a point..if they are so convinced why do the argue about it? AArrgh
——————-Me: Hi !
I am right there with you on your every word about that term girl. Absolutely ! 🙂

Parathe making wife being the true Bharatiya nari is such bull!
I agree with you. Women were not in the picture for a long time because they were considered weaker due to their physical differences from men.
All these damn definitions are by men. All these standards for women were set by men!
——————Me: Exactly my point. Thank you Shilpa!! 🙂

It makes me sad to see such so called “educated” guys still walking around with this mindset …
my hubby cleans the dishes, does laundry , vaccumming etc … I do cooking and taking care of kitchen … but most of his frnds look at him as if he is “joru ka gulaam” and some of them even don’t allow thier wives to talk with me for loooooooooooong …
My blood really boils when i see a working wife coming back from office and getting straight to the kitchen and the hubby catching up on the evening news and waiting for the dinner …
if i take a % age of our frnds circle husbands.. 60% are these lazy bones who don’t lift a finger and i feel like kicking thier butt every time i see them not helping thier wives, the rest 30% are onces who do help , but only when begged for .. only the rest 10% are the ones like my hubby who think nothing wrong in doing a greater than 50% of the work …

anyways …
i just hope that these “bharatiya nari” types come to senses and at least bring thier sons up in a different way so that when the grow up they will respect women unlike thier MCP dads……
——————-Me: I feel really happy every time one says ‘my husband is not one of those..he helps me around voluntarily, even if people might poke fun.
Glad for you girl 🙂

My husband is fortunately that category too, but gets into ‘I’ll read news while you do all the work’ mode once a while..when the fight starts 😉

Yes, I hope the future generations know better …let the girls know their rights and the guys treat them like equals all along.

yep .. am glad that i am married to one of the rare species…
btw i took ur advice and did go on the camping trip .. it was great ..

coming back to the qn of who is weaker sex…
i do consider men and women to be equal …

but the MCP’s deserve a better answer ..
From Intelligent people like Nehru to Strong people like Napoleon went weak in front of thier women .. Y ??? Wasn’t the War of Troy faught over a woman … if she was indeed weak y didn’t you men just ignore her ..

Y because “God created Adam and informed him that he had given him a brain and a penis. The brain was a good gift as it allowed him to do many things. The penis was also a good thing as it allowed the race to continue. The problem was that He (God) had only given Adam enough of a blood supply so that he could only use one of them at a time. “

Most comments here reflect what I wanted to say, but when has that stopped me from typing my two cents? Gender equality according to me is more than just sharing household chores. For example, when there is a stay at home wife involved,it is fair that she takes the responsibility of getting things done around the house, including making parathas or whatever she chooses to serve for each meal. When the man becomes a stay at home husband, when he accepts the household responsibilities, that’s real gender equality to me.

Some men have a very contorted idea of marriage. Discussing financial planning and sharing domestic responsibilities with the wife is somehow termed as being “Joru ka Ghulam”. If all they wanted was a cook and a servant, why bother with marriage?

On a side note: Amma, you were supposed to call me like 25 million years ago! Guess work is keeping you busy or you lost my number 🙂